Chain



April 16, 1929. l F, MLLER 1,709,802

CHAIN Filed Feb. 10,- 1922 Pateiited Apr. 16?, i929,

passes.

i its stars -if 7 Price FRlEDERIC MLLER, 0F HARTFORD, CQNNECTICUTyASS-GNOR TO Tg1-IE "WHITNEY, MANUFACTURING COEIIPANY,v OFjHARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORIERA'IYIONV OE CONNECTICUT.

cnam. y

Application led lFebruary 10, 1922.y Serial No. 535,657.

rality lof pivotally connectedflinks formed lot link plates eachhaving tooth 'at' each end adapted to cooperate With the teeth of the sprocket Wheels over Which the chain The object ot the inventionis to'providea chain having Vvarious features otnovelty and Y advantage, and' more 'particularly to provide an improved arrangement wherein Wea-rv on the parts will be evenly andY uniformly distributed throughout the length of the chain Y so vthatthe.several links Will assume a like or equal shareofthe duty imposed upon the chain, and the chain will run more smoothly and with less noise than heretofore..l

A further object ,of the invention isl toy provide a chain comprising a plurality of complete units, each unit being so arranged andconstructed that Wear between the several parts is reduced to a minimum and uniformly distributed, andthe units being so Y connected together' that the chain, as a Whole, is susceptible yof transverse tlexure .ory dis tortion, and particularly at the pivotal connections between the links, so that the chain may readily accommodate itself to any inaccuracies in the construction or alinement of the sprockets over which the chain passes.

The unit chains are'simple in construction,

the parts may be readily assembled and are securely. fastened vtogether in anv Aeffective -1nanner, and the chain operates With'little or no noise. l l v Y Y In they accompanying drawing, wherein for illustrative purposes l have shown "one embodiment which the invent-ionmay take,v

Fig. l isa plan view of achain made up of three units, a Aportion thereof being shown in longitudinal section ,onsubstantially line V1-1 of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 2 is a top plan of one of the chain units f with parts broken away to illustrate the pivotal connections between the platesof ad]a cent links;

Fig. S is a side elevation showing one complete'link and port-ions of the links adjacent thereto; w y Y Fig-41s ia longitudinal sectional vievvV showing a plate constituting apart of one of i Y they intervening links and the pivot or sleeve to lvhich this plate is non-rotatablyconnected, Fig. 5 is a sectional view throughthe plates offene ot thealternate links andthe sleeve to Which these plates are non-rotatablynconneeted. y I l Referring tothe drawing in detail, v,the

complete chain is shoivn in Fig. l as comprising three 'chain units, raaf and 1r/positioned Y side by side and suitably connected together, in the present instance, by meansoftie pins Z); lt is to be understoodl that, vvhilel haveA shownithe complete chain ink the present-instance as comprising but three units,this

showing is by Way of exempliticationonly, the number ot units employe-d being depend'-v ent upon the Width oit' chain desired.`

ln Fig. 2, l have designated, for con-v ven-ienne, the alternate links of'thefchainunit-v there shovvnby the letter c and the interveninglinksfbyfthe letter d. As there shown, each of the alternate linkse comprises a pair of link-plates 11,Yand each of the interven-V ing links al comprises aqlink plate12 andna v pair ot'sidev plates 13.- Each of .the link plates is provided with teeth adapted to co- Y operateryvith the teethof the sprocket Wheels' n over Which the chain passes, as is usualin lchains, ofV this type.` The side plates like,

Wise may bel provided With-teeth. yThelink f plates Vof acent links overlap and .are pivotally connected together' by pivot members,

here shownl asbeingrin thefforin oi bushings or sleeves 14,',locatedin registering openings in the overlapping ends ofthe link plates.,v

`The side plates 13 are-held in place by pins 15 extending throughthe sleeves 11i. Itl is evident, of course, thatthepresent invention f -iszgnot limited to anyrparticular numberf of link platesvconstituting each link, for the number ofthese plates .in the Vseveral linksy willchange according to requirements., Furltherm'ore, in one mannerz oflspeaking, achain unit,4 such as shown infFig Q ,constitutes av i virata complete chain, and this unit may be so used to advantage in some instances. Preferably, j

however, where a wide chain is desired, these units are placed side by side and connected together, as shown in Fig. l.

In accordance with the present invention,

one end of each-link plate of the successive links is fixed against rotation relative to one bushing and its other end is loose;V tliat'is to say, the front end, for instance, of `each4 link plate is ixedto, so as to turnl wit-bythe bushing by means of which the link plate is ,connected to the next lpreceding link, and

i links will'change slightly Yowing to wear,

its opposite end loosely receives, and therefore freely swings about, the'bushing by means of which the plate isv pivotally con- Vnetted toV the next succeeding link. To this end, I have shown in the present illustrative disclosure, the openings 16C andlGd at the correspondingor front ends, yfor instance, of

the link vplates 1l and l2, respectively, being ofv substantially' the same diameter as,

the bushings rso that the bushings havea driving lit in these openings, and the openings 17 and 17d at'the other endslof the linkplatesare of slightly greaterdianieter than the `external diameter of thev sleeves so as to loosely receive the latter. lVith the arrangement.justdesciibed, it is clear thatthe effective lengths of the several link plates (i. e., as

measuredV from center to center about which` these plates turn as the chain passes about a sprocket) will be uniformat all times in spite of wear betw'cen'the parts, for a like amount of wear takesplace between theedges of the openings 17C, 17d and the bushings.

This means that while the relation of the this change in relation is iiniforin'thi'oug'h- `out .the length of Vthe chains and', therefore,

each link will share an e ual ronortion of l thatV theliiik plates of the-several links arel thev duty imposed upon the chain. llfhclinal results are that the eflectivenessof the chain is maintained at ainaxiinuin, the life of the chain. is greatly prolonged, and noise is re-r duced to a minimum. It may be remarked exactly similar in construction, and thus manufacture of the plates and assembly of the parts is greatly facilitated.` y

In the present illustrative 'disclosui'e,'the side plates' lrof the intervening links of Va unit-chain are provided at each end with openings 2O ofjlike diameter,and vthe pins 15 have a close driving fit in these openings.

The distancefroin center to center of the openings 20 ineach sidefplate is slightlyr less than the distance from center to center of the openings in the plate l2 of the intervening links. `The result of this Varrangement is that when the chain, is inoperation eacliof the bushings will have a bearing as at 21'onV the pins 15. It will'be seen withthe arrangementy just described that the bushings at alternate ends of the linksd rotate relative to and bear against the pins 15, and each of the link plates lhas a bearing onand rotates at one end about one of the bushings, the result being that wear at each alternate joint is splitv up, so to speak, or distributed between two sets of bearing surfaces, one set being between the link plates l2 and the external surfaces of the bushings, and the other set between the bushings and pins. At the intervening joints of the unit the wear is between the bushings le and two link plates ll, The

side plates also serve the functionjof pre-.`

venting the link plates from becoming di'splaced from the pivot bushings. j *It vwill be seen from Fig. l that the several units are assembled in staggered relai tion to form a widechain, that is to say, the alternate links 1l and-the intervening links ofA adjacent chain units are transversely alined. Also the units are, so arranged Vthat the types. of joints above described alternate transversely of the chain. For instance, 'at` the lefthan'd joint shown in section in Fig. l,

readingdownl the page, the bushing isfixed in the link plate 412. In they next unit the bushing is fixed in the linkv plates 11 and so on across the width of the chain. are connected together,- as stated, by theV tie Vpins Z), which pass throughapertures 18 pref-V era-bly in the centers of theA link plates. The side plates have, as shown in' Fig. l, a 'drv ing fit on `the ends Tof the tie pins 6. Preferably, the construction issuch ,thatthe chain may spring or fiex slightly ina transverse direction so as to accommodate itself to iiiy .accuraciesyfor instance, in the alinementof Y the sprockets, and to this end the tie pins may j be slightlyresilient so as to spring or yield, or,'if preferred, the apertures 18 whichl receive these pins vmay be slightly larger than lthe pins. When'the units are assembled into The unitsA a composite chain,'as1shown in Fig. l, the'L bushings and pivot pins vof the units are norinally in substantial valineinent transversely of the chain, but each extendsY butipartly Vacross the entire'chain. Thus, when the chain passesover the sprocket, the` pivot' between the adj acent links of one unit may move out` of normal alineinent with the correspondingV pivo theadjacent unit.:`

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It is, of course, obvious that my invention i y is susceptible of; various modifications and'A changes which are within the spirit of the invention Awithout departing from the scope Cil on said bushing members so as to turnthei'ewith, and the other end of the plates having a loose fit on said bushing members so as to turn thereabout. i

2. A chain formed of links having identical link plateshaving at each end anintegral tooth and provided at their ends with'openings, the ,openings at one end of the plates being largerthan those at the other endof the plates, and pivot bushings having a driving it in the smaller openings and a loose fit in the larger' ones. v

3. A chain comprising a seriesoiq overlapping link plates, each plate having at each enda tooth adapted to Acooperate with the teeth of sprocket wheels, bushings*pivotally connecting said plates, one end ot the plates of each link being iXed to a bushing so aS. to turn therewith and the other end of the plates having their ends loose on a bushing so as to turn thereabout, and means for holding said link plates against displacement from said bushings. Y

4. A chain comprising a series of overlapping link plates,oi the character described,

bushings pivotally connecting the same,- one end of the plates of one linkbeing fixed to a bushing so as to turn therewith and the other end of the plates having a loose engagement` on the bushing so as to turn thereabout, pivot pins positioned in said bushings, and means for holding saidpins in place.

o. A chaincoinprising a ser'es of overlapping link plates, bushings pivotally connect-V ing the same, the corresponding ends of said.

plates being xed to said bushings so asV to turn therewith, and the other turn thereabout, pins positioned insaid busliings, and side plates connecting said pins in pairs, said pins being non-rotatable relative to said side plates.

G. A chain comprising a sei'ies of overlaping its other end loose on a bushing so to i turn thereabout, pivot pins positioned in said bushings, and side plates connectingsaid pins in such relation that eachr alternate one of said bushings is rotatable about and has a bearing on its associated pin,

8. A chain comprising a'series of links formed ot link vplates oi the character described, bushings pivotally connecting the same, a pivot pinin each bushing, and side ends of said plat-es being loose on said bushings so as toV i. A chain comprising a serios overlapplates connecting said pins in pairs with the distancebetween the centers of Vthe'pinsof each )air vslifrhtl less than the difference ben l n -I c tween the centers oi the-bushings in whicn these 'pinslare mounted.

9. A. chain formed plates-provided at their cppositeends with openings, the openings at corresponding ends ot said plates being largerthan those at the other ends. bushings havinga d 'iving lit in the smaller openings and a loose iit in the larger ones, pivot pins positioned in-said bushings, and side plates vhaving openings.

in which the ends-01" said pins have a driving lit, the distance between thecenters of the openings in said side plates being less than the distance between the centers of the openings of said link plates.

l0. A chain vformed of a plurality of unitA chains; each of said uiiit chains comprising a series oflinks formed of .link plates, bush-v o links having link ings pivotally connecting theV link plates of link and to which said vpins are non-rotatably kadjacent links, a pin positionedfin each of l y said bushings and side plates for every other connected; said units beingpositioned side by side with theside plates oit one unit in staggered relation 'to those'ot' an adjacent unit; andfpins passing freely through thel link plates-and having their ends securedv in the side plates of the marginal units 11. A chain formed of a plurality of unit chains placed side by side; each of saidiunit chains comprising a series ot overlappingA link plates and bushing members connecting the saine, each end ofthe plates of one link being fixed to a bushing member so as to rotate therewith, and the plates of the adjacent linksfhaving their ends loose on ra bushing member so as toturii thereabout; and nieans i'or connecting said unit chains together.

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l2. A chain coinprisinga plurality of unitvr chains; each' olf-saidV unit chains heilig coin- -v posed of a series oit overlapping link plates and members pivotally. connecting the same,

Vthe ends of the plates of one link beinglixed Ato said bushing members so as to turn therewith, an'dtheplates oiftheadjacent linkslbeing loose on said members so as to turn therei about; andfnieans for' securing said unit chains together. i i 1 y 13. A chain'comprising a plurality of Vunit v chains; each'of said unit chains being Acoin- .posed ot a series ot linkplates.andA bushings .pivotally connecting the same, the ends of the plates ot one link being iix'ed to s aidbushings so as to turn therewith, and lthe plates of the ad] acent links being loose on said bushings so as to turn thereabout, aseparat-e-pivot` pin positioned iii each o'l' said bushings and means for securing said pins in place;A and means spaced-troni said pins for securing said unit chains together.

lll. A built-up chain comprising a plurality oil-chain units; eachof said units being iso ooinposed of a series of link plates and busl1` ings pivotally connecting the saine, the ends i of the plates of one link being iXed to Said bushings so as-to turn therewith, andthe plates of the adjacent linksvbeing loose onv said bushings so as to turn tlieieabout, a pin chains being positioned side by side Witlithe side plates of adjacent unitsy in staggered 10,A relation; and tie pins passingthrough said link plates and anchored iii-said side plates, saidtiepins being arranged to permit the built-up Chain to extransversely.

FRIEDERICH MLLER. 

